2014 The E.U. extends sanctions against Russia by banning oil and gas exploration, cruise ship activity, and investment in Russian-annexed Crimea, the annexation is considered illegitimate by E.U. member nations 2014 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces a ban of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking; the technique, used to extract natural gas and oil, requires injection of chemicals, sand and water at high pressure underground, posing environmental concerns 2013 In the U.S., two winners are believed to have won the Mega Millions lottery; they will share a jackpot of $636 million 2013 Syria, Iran and North Korea are condemned for human rights violations by the United Nations 2012 United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II attends a meeting of the Cabinet for the first time, receiving a gift honoring her Diamond Jubilee; this was first time a Cabinet meeting was attended by a British monarch since the reign of Queen Victoria 2012 Prime Minister Victor Ponta, of the Social Liberal Union, is nominated by Romanian President, Traian Basescu, to form a new government after Romania holds its parliamentary election later this December 2011 During the 40th anniversary of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, a bomb kills one person and clashes break out between security and opposition protesters 2011 The last convoy of U.S. Army soldiers leaves Iraq, formally marking the end of the Iraq War 2010 Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is granted temporary powers to pass laws by decree, negating any required review or support from the National Assembly 2010 Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad publicly declares Palestinians have changed; they are now fully committed to non-violence 2009 30,000 Phillipine people remain in temporary shelter as scientists predict the Mount Mayon volcano will erupt in the coming weeks 2005 Bolivia elects leftist Evo Morales president 1996 Start of 1st Test Cricket match between Zimbabwe and England 1996 Television industry executives agree to adopt a ratings system 1994 "Comedy Tonight" opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater New York City for 8 performances 1994 "What's Wrong With this Pic?" closes at Circle in Sq New York City after 12 perf 1994 Darryl Strawberry pleads not guilty on tax evasion charges 1994 General Hospital stars Kristina Malandro and Jack Wagner wed 1994 Norman, Couples and Azinger wins LPGA Wendy's 3-Tour Golf Challenge 1994 Socialist Party (ex-communist) wins Bulgaria parliamentary election 1993 Kevin Scott skates world record 1K (1:12.54) 1992 FCC vote 4-1 to allow Infinity to purchase Cook Inlet stations 1991 DeForest Kelly (Dr. McCoy on Star Trek) gets a star in Hollywood 1991 General Motors announces closing of 21 plants 1990 NL releases short list of teams for 1993 NL expansion 1990 NL announces Buffalo, Denver, Miami, Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg, and Washington D.C. as 6 finalist for 1993 expansion (Miami and Denver win) 1989 "I Love Lucy" Christmas episode, shown for 1st time in over 30 years 1989 Athol Fugard's "My Children, My Africa," premieres in New York City 1988 5th meeting of Giants-Jets, Jets win and eliminate Giants from playoffs 1988 Seattle Seahawks win their 1st ever division title with 9-7 record 1987 Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's future president, marries Asif Ali Zardari 1987 Ivan F. Boesky sentenced to 3 years for insider trading 1986 Mr Gates, serves as acting director of CIA 1985 "Jerry's Girls" opens at St. James Theater New York City for 139 performances 1985 U.N. Security Council unanimously condemns "acts of hostage-taking" 1984 73rd Davis Cup: Sweden beats USA in Gothenburg (4-1) 1983 NBA San Diego Clippers ends 29 game road losing streak 1982 Flight readiness firing of Challenger's main engines; 20 seconds 1980 Bruce Sprinsteen's concert at Madison Square Garden 1980 Dutch 2nd Chamber accepts minister Van Agts abortion laws 1980 IRA's Sean McKenna becomes critically ill, ends hunger strike 1980 Vietnam adopts constitution 1979 Stanley Barrett 1st to exceed land sonic speed (739.666 MPH) 1978 France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island 1978 U.S.S.R. performs underground nuclear test 1977 Cleveland Cavaliers retire jersey # 42, Nate Thumond 1977 Dutch Antilles: premier Boy Rozendal points independence off 1976 "A Star is Born," with Barbra Striesand, premieres 1976 Wonder Woman debuts on ABC 1976 Soviet dissident Viktor Bukovskiexchanged for Chile CP-leader Corvalan 1974 SF Visitors Center at City Hall opens 1973 Soyuz 13 launched into Earth orbit for 8 days 1973 Yankees sign Dick Williams as manager, overturned later by AL president 1972 U.S. begins its heaviest bombing of North Vietnam 1971 1st Candlelight Processional 1971 CBS radio cancels Saturday morning band concerts 1971 People United To Save Humanity (PUSH) forms by Jesse Jackson in Chic 1970 "Me Nobody Knows" opens at Helen Hayes Theater New York City for 587 performances 1970 Polish uprising fails 1970 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1969 "Coco" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater New York City for 333 performances 1969 Britain abolishes death penalty 1969 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1968 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Semipalitinsk, Eastern Kazakhstan U.S.S.R. 1966 Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" airs for 1st time on CBS 1966 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Semipalitinsk, Eastern Kazakhstan U.S.S.R. 1965 "La Grusse Valise" closes at 54th St. Theater New York City after 7 performances 1965 Borman and Lovell Splash down in Atlantic ends 2 week Gemini VII mission 1965 Kenneth LeBel jumps 17 barrels on ice skates 1964 "I Had a BaIl" opens at Martin Beck Theater New York City for 199 performances 1964 "The Pink Panther" cartoon series premieres (Pink Phink) 1964 During services held for Sam Cooke fans caused damage to Funeral Home 1964 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1963 Clarke runs world record 10k (28:15.6) 1963 Muskegon, Michigan gets 3' of snow 1962 Dmitri Shostakovich' 13th Symphony, premieres in Moscow 1962 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya U.S.S.R. 1962 WAIQ TV channel 26 in Montgomery, AL (PBS) begins broadcasting 1961 Britain's EMI Records originally rejects the Beatles 1961 For 2nd cons year, AP names Wilma Rudolph female athlete of year 1961 India annexes Portuguese colonies of Goa, Damao and Diu 1961 KAIL TV channel 53 in Fresno, California (IND) begins broadcasting 1961 Wilt Chamberlain of NBA Philadelphia Warriors scores 78 points vs LA 1960 General Meeting of United Nations condemns apartheid 1959 Sammy Baugh named 1st coach of New York Titans (AFL) 1958 1st test project of Signal Communications by Orbiting Relay Equip 1958 1st voice from space: recorded Christmas message by Eisenhower 1958 Niger gains autonomy within French Community (National Day) 1957 Shippingport Atomic Power Stn, 1st nuke plant to generate electricity 1956 "To Tell the Truth" debuts on CBS-TV 1956 Israeli flag hoisted on Mount Sinai 1956 Japan admitted to UN 1956 Phil Rizzuto signs as New York Yankee radio-TV announcer 1953 KATV TV channel 7 in Little Rock, AR (ABC) begins broadcasting 1953 KMID TV channel 2 in Midland and Odessa, Texas (ABC) begins broadcasting 1952 Ellis W Ryan resigns as Cleveland Indians president 1949 Philadelphia Eagles beat Los Angeles Rams 14-0 in NFL championship game 1948 Indonesia begins it's 2nd political election 1948 WDSU TV channel 6 in New Orleans, Louisiana (NBC) begins broadcasting 1947 Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Optissima Pax 1946 TV's 1st network dramatic serial "Faraway Hill" ends 2 month run 1945 Uruguay joins UN 1944 Destroyers "Hull," "Spence" and "Monaghan" sink in typhoon (Philippines) 1944 Nazi occupiers of Amsterdam destroy electricity plants 1941 German submarine U-434 sinks 1941 Japanse troops land on Hong Kong 1939 Finnish army recaptures Aglajarvi 1936 1st giant panda imported into US 1936 Queensland cricket all out for 49 vs. Vic, Fleetwood-Smith 7-17 1936 Su-Lin, 1st giant panda to come to U.S. from China, arrives in SF 1935 Bradman scores 117 in his 1st Shield cricket match for South Australia 1935 Edward Benes becomes president of Czechoslovakia 1932 Chicago Bears beat Portsmouth Spartans 9-0 in 1st NFL playoff game 1930 Bradman scores 258 NSW vs. South Australia, 289 minutes, 37 fours 1923 International zone of Tangier set up in Morocco 1920 1st U.S. postage stamps printed without the words United States or US 1917 Soviet regiment (Stalin/Lenin) declares Finland Independent 1915 President Wilson, widowed the year before, marries Edith Bolling Galt 1905 H V Hordern takes 8-81 in 2nd innings of F-C debut (NSW vs. Qld) 1899 Field Marshal Lord Roberts appointed British supreme commander in South Africa 1898 Automobile speed record set-63 kph (39 mph) 1892 "Nutcracker Suite," Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet, premieres 1892 Anton Bruckner's 8th Symphony, premieres 1890 Lugards expedition to Mengo/Kampala, Uganda 1878 French SS Byzantin sinks after collision in Dardanellen, 210 killed 1869 Canada's Hamilton Foot Ball Club plays its 1st game 1865 13th Amendment ratified, slavery abolished 1865 1st U.S. cattle importation law passed 1862 Battle at Lexington, Tennessee (Forrest's Second Raid) 1859 South Carolina declared an "independent commonwealth" 1858 Passy, at Paris: 1st "Samedi soir" i/d villa of lovers Rossini 1849 William Bond obtains 1st photograph of Moon through a telescope 1839 1st celestial photograph (of Moon) made in U.S., John Draper, New York City 1832 Charles Darwin visits Vurland 1813 British take Ft. Niagara in War of 1812 1799 George Washington's body interred at Mount Vernon 1796 1st U.S. newspaper to appear on Sunday (Baltimore Monitor) 1787 New Jersey becomes 3rd state to ratify constitution 1783 English king George III fires government of Portland 1777 1st national Thanksgiving Day, commemorating Burgoyne's surrender 1774 Empress Maria Theresa expels Jews from Prague, Bohemia and Moravia 1719 Thomas Fleet publishes "Mother Goose's Melodies For Children" 1621 English parliament accept unanimously, Protestation 1603 Admiral Steven van der Haghens fleet departs to East-Indies 1406 Anton van Bourgondies becomes duke of Brabant 1352 Etienne Aubert elected as Pope Innocentius VI 1118 Alfonso van Aragon occupies Saragossa on Almoraviden
